Clean Crustless Pumpkin Pie

I admit it. I'm on a pie kick. God help me.

Why do we reserve pumpkin pie for the holidays? It’s such a great dish for any time of year, and it is so simple to make. Healthy, too, if made with real and clean ingredients.

Pumpkins are a powerhouse of healthy benefits. They are great for your immune system and for your eyes. Not convinced? Here’s a whole list of benefits pumpkins bring to the table.

I love making crustless pumpkin pie on weeknights because it is extremely easy to whip up with ingredients already in the fridge, and there is little measuring and absolutely no cutting or chopping involved. It’s as simple as mix, pour, bake, and eat! You just need to make sure you pick up a couple cans of pumpkin at the store if it’s not a staple in your pantry.

Place the pie dish in the oven while you eat your main meal, and you’ll have a warm, cozy, and healthy dessert ready in only a short time.

Enjoy!

Clean Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Adapted from The Gracious Pantry

Ingredients
2 cups organic, canned pumpkin
1/2 cup honey
4 organic egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups organic whole milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly.

Pour mixture into lightly greased pie plate.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 45-50 additional minutes.

Let pie rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Maple Pecan Tart

This is the pecan tart I made for Thanksgiving. I know, I know. It's a little late to be posting Thanksgiving recipes...but better late than never!

I decided to make a pecan tart for because I discovered pecan pie is one of my Dad's favorites and also because Aunt Julie found this great recipe - and I thought I'd give it a try. 

I'd never made a pecan pie or tart of any kind until this past holiday, and I was very pleased with how it turned out. Best of all, I avoided corn syrup all together (which is crazy considering 99.9% of recipes you'll find for pecan pie require corn syrup). Well, that and the fact that I had an excuse to quote When Harry Met Sally the whole time I was making this beauty - "peeecan pie".  Say it. It's fun. You know it is.

Anyway, try this recipe out the next time you are bitten by the baking bug.

Enjoy!

Maple Pecan Tart

Ingredients

1 large, organic egg yolk

3 tablespoons organic unsalted butter, melted, divided

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil (you can find coconut oil at places like Whole Foods and PCC)

1 tablespoon water

2 cups raw pecan halves, divided

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

2 organic large eggs

1/2 cup pure, grade B maple syrup

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Generously coat a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.

Combine egg yolk, 2 tablespoons melted butter, oil and water in a small bowl. 

Process 1/2 cup pecans and sugar in a food processor to the consistency of coarse meal. Add flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pulse until combined. Drizzle the yolk mixture through the feed tube while pulsing - just until the mixture is combined.

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, pressing it firmly into the bottom and all the way up the sides to form a crust. Place on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and just beginning to brown on the edges. 12 - 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Transfer 1/4 cup of the mixture to a small bowl. Chop 1/2 cup pecans and add to the medium bowl. Mix the remaining 1 cup pecans with the reserved maple mixture.

Remove the tart crust from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

If there are any cracks in the crust, sprinkle with a little flour and use a dry pastry brush to seal the flour into the cracks. Evenly spread the filling in the crust. Arrange the maple syrup-coated pecans decoratively on top and drizzle with any remaining maple mixture.

Bake the tart until it no longer jiggles in the center when gently shaken, 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack from about 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan (use a butter knife to gently loosen the tart from the pan sides if it sticks in spots). Let cool completely, about 40 minutes more. 

Reese's Cookies

At first glance you see a sugar cookie, but then you take a bite, and you get a sneaky suspicion that something wonderful has snuck its way into the middle of your cookie (see above). Like a mini Reese's peanut butter cup...

I made A LOT of cookies this past holiday, but these Reese's cookies are probably my favorite of the lot. Soft sugar cookies, gooey chocolate peanut butter center....uh, hello!

I came across this fabulous idea on With Style and Grace, and I had to give it a try. I tested out the recipe both with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and with York Peppermint Patties. I'll definitely keep experimenting with different kinds of candy...Rolos anyone? I'm excited to hear what your great ideas are.

Whether you've still got loot leftover from Halloween , or you're in the mood to surprise someone mid-bite - these are a fun cookie to bake. Think of all the candy variations there are to explore.

But seriously, who can go wrong with a peanut butter chocolate combo? Happy baking!

Reeses Cookies
Recipe from With Style And Grace - originally Picky Palate

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional - I left them out)
Reeses Peanut Butter cups

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheets(s) with parchment paper and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs – one at a time and then vanilla, mix until well combined.

Mix together flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix in the chocolate chips if using. Take one scoop of cookie dough, place Reeses peanut butter cup on top and then take a second scoop of cookie dough and place on top of the Reeses. Press the cookie dough together, sealing the edges and then carefully mold into a ball.

Bake 9-13 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Rugelach

The holidays may be over, but this Hanukkah cookie never gets old.  Allow me to introduce you to the oh-so-delicious, cinnamon dream - rugelach. 

Rugelach are crescent shaped cookies made from a cream cheese-based dough. The name, rugelach, is Yiddish. The root of the word rugelach means something like "twist" or "little corners" - which is fitting for these little treats.

I made these cookies for this year's family Hanukkah dinner. This is my first attempt at making rugelach, but I've enjoyed them growing up. Mom has made these through the years for Hanukkah and other Jewish holidays and celebrations.

Rugelach are great as an evening dessert, but are just as fitting for a weekend morning with a cup of coffee, the newspaper, and PJs.

It's fairly simple to make a batch, just make sure you keep the dough chilled. If the dough gets too soft, just stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes and try again.

Enjoy!

Rugelach

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar, divided

1/2 cup seedless raisins, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Directions

In a mixing bowl or food processor, cream butter and cream cheese together. Knead in flour a little at a time until dough holds together in a soft ball. Do not overwork the dough. 

Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix together 1/2 cup of the sugar, raisins, cinnamon, and walnuts in a bowl. Set aside.

Working on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll one ball of dough into a large round as thin as possible. If dough is sticky, dust with a little flour. 

Using a pizza cutter, cut each round into 16 pie-shaped wedges. 

Sprinkle each wedge with a bit of the raising mixture. 

Beginning at the wide edge of each piece of dough, roll up dough toward the point. Curve rolls into little crescents and place them, point-side down, on parchment lined baking sheets. 

Carefully sprinkle each cookie with a small amount of the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, then repeat process with second ball of dough. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.

Passover Sponge Cake

Photo by Rachel Dedrickson

For the record, I am fully aware that Passover is long over. But I took some perfectly good pictures and this Passover sponge cake deserves its time to shine.

Sponge cake is usually the center piece dessert of our family Passover feasts. Gram was the queen of sponge cake, so she was always the the supplier of this airy treat as well as the the bowl of sugar-drenched strawberries and whipped cream that topped it all off.

Because I am inexplicably determined to uncover family recipes and food pearls, I naturally had an interest in recreating her sponge cake magic for this year's Seder.

Yellowed and coffee-stained notes were tucked gently between the pages of her cookbooks, but most of her scribbles were simply lists of ingredients with no instructions.

It seems as if Gram's sponge cake was a work in progress year after year. And I can understand because
my cake came out of the oven tasting like hers, but it didn't rise much or reach it's fully desired height.  I am thinking maybe the eggs I used were too cold. Perhaps, room temperature eggs next year?

It won't be long until tiny scraps of paper start getting tucked in to my cookbooks. Some recipes are just a continual work in progress. Next year, if my family gives me another opportunity, I swear I am going to get it right!

Tell me, which recipes are you still working to perfect?

Photo by Rachel Dedrickson

Gram's Passover Sponge Cake

Ingredients:
9 eggs (room temp)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 cup potato starch
3/4 cup cake meal
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Separate the egg whites and yolks in to two separate bowls.

First, gradually beat sugar into the egg white bowl until egg whites are light colored and thick (almost stiff, but not quite).

Next, sift the potato starch and cake meal together into the bowl of egg yolks.

Fold the egg whites and sugar into the egg yolks/dry ingredient bowl and gently fold together.

Pour the batter into an angel food cake pan (do not grease the pan!). Bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back when touched in the center, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Immediately invert the pan onto its feet or the neck of a bottle and let cool completely. Run a thin-bladed knife around the outer sides of the pan and around the inside of the tube to loosen the cake. Invert the pan onto a cake plate and lift off the pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

Sunday Sponge Cake

Photo by Rachel Dedrickson

The dryer is humming, bright overcast light is rushing through my office window, and I’m sitting down at my desk in fuzzy socks, black knit pants and a baggy t-shirt. It’s Sunday afternoon.

I have been on a food blog hiatus for almost one month on the dot now. Not intentionally, of course. Life gets in the way sometimes. You know how that goes, right? Well, I’m back now. I am back to tell you about my shenanigans in the kitchen this morning.

I have to start off with a short story first…

Over a month ago, while I was dropping off challah at Aunt Julie’s house, we were chit chatting about some of the recipes we want to work on together. That's our goal this year. I think we are both particularly interested in uncovering the mystery bolgi roll and perogis (not sure on spelling) Aunt Julie remembers Great Grandma Celia making. 

Aunt Julie and I share an affection for keeping things. We both like to rip out magazine pages we think we'll get back to someday, and we both have project rooms full of stuff that only we understand the need for. I love visiting and seeing her projects and little odds and ends that have a special purpose for her - sometimes she's the only person I feel like relates to me in this way...keeping things is not a sin. There is nothing worse than thinking I wish I hadn't thrown that away.

Anyway, we sifted through boxes of family pictures I’d never seen before – pictures of Donny and Gram, Great Grandma Ruth, and Great Grandpa Julius. She showed me Donny’s WWDX Club badge, of which she let me keep.  The most exciting part of the whole stroll down memory lane (or lack of memory lane) was that we got around to looking at her collection of cookbooks. 

I was in awe at the plethora of bound treasure that made its home on the top of her maple kitchen cabinet shelves. It’s not because I don’t have a collection of cookbooks myself. Trust me, I am not poor in cookbooks let alone books in general. I think I could open up my own Half Price Books if I wanted to.

What caught my breath was her collection of vintage cookbooks from my grandmother’s kitchen.  I guess I’d never thought twice about cookbooks of the past. Plus, up until this point in time, I have never believed there to be a trace of my grandma's cooking knowledge beyond her coffee splattered scribbles in her Passover composition notebook. Needless to say, I was fascinated at the cooking possibilities of yesteryears, of Gram's signature as it curled and curved on each hardcover we opened,  of the books that may have taught Gram how to cook. I have been on the hunt for vintage cookbooks ever since.

My latest find is a 1956 copy of Love and Knishes, which I’ve gotten quite a kick out of reading page to page. More on this later. I also went hunting at a local antique mall and discovered Favorite Recipes of America: Desserts Volume 1 (© 1968). Candies, cookies, meringues, tortes, pastries and pies, puddings, cobblers, crisps, and short cakes – the table of contents proves the cookbook is littered with sweet possibility.

This morning I attempted Orange Sponge Cake written by Mrs. Donna M. Hayes of Florence, Alabama. I don't remember an orange sponge cake being in the family book of cooking spells, but it sounded delicious. Why not give it a try?

After about an hour and a half of mess and sweat in the kitchen, I think the venture turned out all right for a first attempt. That said, it will be worth making a second attempt. Why? Well, I got so incredibly anxious for the pan to cool, that I flipped it over onto a plate much too early. Bad idea. Bad idea, indeed. I need to learn to distract myself with something else and come back to flip the cake much later. If I had done so this morning, I suspect the shape of the golden sponge would have kept a bit better. Oh well, it still tastes good.

Nonetheless, I think Mrs. Donna Hayes was on to something. The sweet, citrus tang of the soft, bouncy yellow mound was worth the 10 am labor in the kitchen. 

Now, back to my fuzzy socks and coffee.

Orange Sponge Cake

From Favorite Recipes of America: Desserts Volume 1

By: Mrs. Donna M. Hayes, Florence, Ala. North Alabama State Fair

Ingredients

6 egg yolks

1 ½ cup sugar

1 cup potato flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. lemon extract

6 egg whites

1 cup orange juice

Directions
Beat egg yolks until pale yellow color. Gradually add 1 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat well. Mix and sift dry ingredients; add to yolks. Add water and flavoring. Beat thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry; fold into cake mixture. Pour batter into ungreased 9-inch tube pan. Bake in preheated 300-degree oven for 1 hour. Do not open oven door. Cool. (For the love of God - please let it cool all the way!). Remove from pan.  Combine orange juice and ½ cup sugar (I used powdered sugar instead); pour over cake. Yields 8-10 servings.

Photo by Rachel Dedrickson

Have Your Cake

Dear Foodies,

I know that there are fancier desserts in the world, but who can turn down a Pilsbury Funfetti cupcake? It's such a nostalgic, happy treat. Not to mention, cupcakes are all the rage right now.

I made this batch the other night and decided to go with a black and white theme. I used black and white polka dot cupcake wrappers and three different toppings.

First, I frosted each cupcake with classic vanilla frosting, then I dipped the top of each cupcake in Oreo crumbles, shaved coconut, or white pearl sprinkles. The beauty of these topping choices is that they are forgiving - no steady hand required. I'm really happy with how they turned out, and they tasted delicious.

Tell me, what is the best cupcake you've ever had?